Women on the Move!

Wow, is it ever time for an update! The Mom's Moments Newsletter found a new name this fall thanks to your help with our many reader submissions! Drumroll please.....

The newsletter's newfound name is....

WOMEN ON THE MOVE

It's the perfect fit for we are all busy women on the move, whether we're moms or not, the newsletters are full of great practical articles, ideas, resources, recipes and more - don't forget the health column! There's something for every busy gal striving to keep health and balance in their lives... And the best part? It's women encouraging, challenging and inspiring women by sharing their stories and resources.

Join us and be a part of it! You'll find Women on the Move, a wealth of online resources and so much more at:

www.momsmoments.ca

Help us find a new name for the "Mom's Moments" newsletter!

The planning team - myself, Andi Hawkins & Nicolle Huggins - has been busy as we look to next season! Now we come to you with a request. Mom's Moments began as a newsletter, but over the past five years, it has grown to be much more! (see www.momsmoments.ca for recap of all that we do).

"Mom's Moments" will remain the name of our website and organization, but we feel that the newsletter itself is in need of its very own name.

WILL YOU HELP US?

Why a new name?

First, because we've found that some women are intimidated to contribute to the "Mom's Moments" newsletter, feeling like they're supposed to be "mom" experts (but who is, really!?). Secondly, many women who aren't moms still get a lot out of the practical articles that aren't always motherhood specific: the health column, "My Story" articles, recipes, etc. Plus many women have children in their lives -- nephews, nieces or students -- but may just not have any of their own. At Mom's Moments, we want all women to feel welcome to read as well as CONTRIBUTE to this newsletter.

That said, we believe a new name for the newsletter is in order. We would love for you ALL to help find a name that reflects the newsletter vision. Here is what we are about:

• We aim to empower women by giving them a voice to encourage and equip one another through this newsletter where they can share their stories, resources, recipes and practical tips, experience or expertise.
• We hope that through the newsletter, women would be challenging and inspiring each other to live more balanced and healthier lives.
• We long to simplify our days as we remind and challenge each other to live more intentionally on the homefront so that we never lose sight of the things (and people) that truly matter (this happens so easily in our rushed and hectic lifestyles today when everyone and everything is vying for our time and energy...who really misses out?).
• Women don't have to be experienced writers to share their stories, etc., the idea is that we all have something to share, and we can all learn from each other - we can help you through the writing process when needed!
• Our readers come from a wide demographic from across North America (and beyond!) with different backgrounds, cultures, traditions and belief systems, from pregnant women, to moms of preschoolers, school-aged children, teens or empty nesters, some are single, married or have blended families, some don't have kids, some work outside the home, others stay at home, homeschool or run a business from home... and the list goes on. It's a mixed readership and we love it that way as we can all learn from each other!

So, in case you didn't already know... that's what the "Mom's Moments" newsletter is all about... Obviously, there is indeed practical mom-specific content in there, but the title of the newsletter should not stop someone from wanting to contribute because they don't have any children of their own or because they don't feel they are "experts" or professional writers...

With all of the above considered, let it simmer and see what names might come to mind. PLEASE take a minute to post your suggestions in a comment below or email us! (even if you think its not a great catchy name... you might be onto something that we can work with, send it along)!! We plan to have a vote in the fall with the top names submitted....

Eagerly awaiting each of your responses,

Mélanie, Andi & Nicolle
Your Mom's Moments Planning Team

Soccer Mom

This past April, my oldest daughter went to the park with the neighbourhood kids who are a few years older... When I reached the park shortly after, I watched as my 7-year old walked off the soccer field to sit on the sidelines as the others went on to play soccer.

When I got closer, I saw that she was teary-eyed and was clenching on to the cell phone she was asked to hold on to. I asked why she wasn't playing soccer with her friends. She replied that she's no good at soccer. They had been playing tag and other games that had been fun, but once they switched to soccer, she chose to sit out, feeling like she might not be good enough.

I believe that what followed became a pivotal moment in my daughter's life (and I could have easily missed it). We walked home together and talked along the way. She shared about not really liking sports because she doesn't like the competitiveness, feeling like she's not really good, and not liking when she loses (who does really, just something we've all got to learn!)...

It's at that moment that I decided that my daughter would not be another woman who like so many grows up believing they just aren't the athletic types... then looking back on their life after having children, they wish they'd been more active... I believe that we all need to be active, regardless of whether we'll be winning Olympic medals. It doesn't matter if we're good in every sport, but it is important to find a sport or physical activity that works for us!

It would have been easy for us to label her as the "artsy type" and keep her out of athletics... but in that moment, I realized the importance of not doing that! I was already seeing her self-esteem being affected by it in that incident at the park. That was not going to be my girl, sitting on the sidelines as the designated cell phone holder. Not my daughter.

SO, my girl and I chatted some more when we got home. We looked up the town soccer club, discovered that we hadn't missed registration yet (it ended that week!), and we discussed the idea of her playing soccer. She got really excited about learning the sport, not too keen on the idea of playing games, but we talked about it all being a part of sport: practicing, learning, making friends, playing, winning, losing, all the while learning to be a good sport.

Her next question: "what would I wear?" The idea of having a team uniform and those special soccer shoes too was getting her pretty excited... and the possibility of winning a trophy (like her friends up the street)... well...(thankfully they apparently all win trophies in the soccer club tournaments ;) I talked it over with my husband, and we had her registered the next day.

Since April, she's insisted on joining me on a couple of runs (she ran 20 minutes straight without stopping! I know many women who can't do that!)... She has also gone to the park a number of times with our teenage neighbour (who is heading off to university on a soccer scholarship in the fall) to kick the ball around and learn more about the sport. She has been soaking up every second of it all.

Months later, we are a few weeks into the soccer season, and my girl who "didn't like sports" has developed a new found LOVE for soccer. She is watching the FIFA World Cup in South Africa any chance she can, learning where she is to be on the field as she watches the players on TV, and she gets SO excited for soccer night. She's eager, not afraid of the ball on the field and best of all, she's gained a lot of confidence in her sporting ability over the past few months.

This is the type of stuff in life that defines us and impacts our sense of self growing up (which I believe does carry on into adulthood). All that to say, I'm thankful that my girl will grow up to value active living with a stronger self-esteem and sense of self.

Phew... I could have easily missed that, after years of choosing to stay away from soccer because I didn't want a sport to rule our lives in the summer... all in all... I know we made the right call on that one. It is definitely worth it, and we can work our visits to the cottage around the weekly soccer practice/game.

So a soccer mom I have gladly become ;)

Time Well Spent

As I was cleaning the house this afternoon, two thoughts kept running through my head... The first is that my energy spent on cleaning the floors and vacuuming seems so futile... if only a house could go from chaos to clean as quickly as it goes from clean to chaos when little ones are around... My toddler has recently discovered our unbabyproofable pantry and a new hobby has become emptying cereal boxes and pasta everywhere... I mean I can't fit EVERYTHING on top of the fridge!!!

The second thought that's more importantly been coming back to me is this... I chose well today.

I could have kept myself busy at work all day, but instead, I chose to cancel an appointment and work from home, allowing me to drive the kids to school this morning and join my 2nd-grader on their class field trip to the skating rink.

I chose well.

We had a blast skating together. She didn't even care that her friends were around, my girl just wanted to skate with her mommy and didn't like the time I ever so briefly went around the rink chatting with another parent... no this was OUR time together, no other siblings around, just the two of us (the 50+ other 2nd graders on the ice didn't seem to matter). We started playing tag to catch each other on the ice, with a few of her friends even joining in at the end. Awesome mother-daughter time!

Best of all, I was so excited to see that in 2nd grade, though you're already trying to be a lady and mimic the older kids in the way they dress and do their hair, it's still cool to reach for mom's hand as we're walking to the rink with the class... That made my day ;)

The overriding lesson of the day?

The house, the laundry and my to-do-list from work... those things will all get accomplished eventually... As pressing as they sometimes feel, in reality, they can and must wait. The bottom line is this:

I'll never regret giving my kids more of my time... building bonds, communication, character, faith...

That will always be time well spent at the end of the day.

Compassion for Haiti

I woke up to the radio yesterday with the news of the earthquake in Haiti... Yikes... News of the poorest country in the western hemisphere being hit so hard is tough... My heart has been heavy...

I've heard of two separate instances where friends of friends had just left Haiti, in one case the day before the earthquake hit returning from working in an orphanage... in another, 90 minutes before it hit returning from a medical relief trip... too many were not so lucky... they weren't flying off to safe distant lands, but were hit... HARD.

As I write in my warm and comfy home, contemplating going to bed early or getting a bit of work done... CBC news today reported the Red Cross estimating 50,000 dead... others are reporting 100,000 dead... Emergency aid from around the world is arriving, struggling to bring supplies as devastation is all-around and search and rescue efforts continue.

We may not all be able to mobilize and hit the ground to help in person as friends' of ours have done... but we can all take some time to pray for the hurting people, for the search and rescue efforts, for the protection of all and for aid and supplies to get to those who need it most.

"Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.

Do not forget the helpless."

Psalm 10:12

We must also take a minute to donate to help get more aid and supplies on the ground. My inbox and Facebook are inundated with organizations pleading for help and donations to further their work where they have already been established for several years... Compassion, Canadian Red Cross, Power to Change, and World Vision... No matter where you choose to donate, lets work together to get aid on the ground to those who are so desperate for our help... here's a bit more info on one of these organizations for your info...

World Vision in Haiti...

World Vision is on the ground right now in the Haitian city of Port-Au-Prince, helping families and children devastated by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake Tuesday afternoon. Your donations are vital to the relief efforts and are needed today. Every dollar makes a difference and now if you give a donation to the Haiti Earthquake victims through World Vision, by February 12th, it will double in impact due to a generous contribution from the Canadian Government.

With an international response team flying in from around the globe to assist, our relief efforts are underway. World Vision Haiti is now distributing emergency supplies to families and children struggling to deal with this catastrophic disaster. World Vision has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, helping an estimate 300,000 Haitians each year to overcome poverty through providing access to education, improved access to food and clean water and improved nutrition as well as helping families with improved medical care.

Now, more than ever, your help is needed to help families in Haiti and let them know they are not alone in this emergency. Click here to donate now.

Marriages need protection!

In November, my husband and I were in Vancouver for his graduation from the Arrow Leadership Program. During that time, we took part in 1-day marriage seminars which was awesome and we still have things to debrief from that time together! I left there very encouraged about the state of our marriage and of our communication as a couple.

Oh how much we have grown over the last 10 years of marriage! Has it already been that long?? Crazy. (we celebrate our anniversary in a few months!) Making more time for fun as a couple and family being a priority on what to improve upon as we wrap up a crazy busy year of me back to work and a husband in school... We look forward to a change of pace in the coming months but in the meantime we continue to steal time away for quality time together and the girls and I have been doing a lot of skating to get outdoors while daddy is studying!

Back from Vancouver, I was already thinking about marriage when I was once again reminded of how important it is to PROTECT our marriages, investing in our relationship with our spouse instead of so easily taking it for granted, as I recently heard the crushing news of another marriage going south. I took this news hard... this was a family I was once very close to in my younger days... I was SHOCKED at the news and the circumstances. And it just reinforced the fact that we MUST invest in our marriages and do all we can to protect them. The greatest gift we can ever give our kids is to keep our marriages strong... It is clear once again as the kids in that family are now left in the balance trying to figure out life in light of their new hurtful circumstances... tough way to begin a new year...

In all of that, I am more thankful then ever for my awesome husband. We are SO blessed with our beautiful children. I continue to commit to being intentional in loving my husband and family well... (read Nicolle Huggins' article in the Feb/March 2010 issue of Mom's Moments for more on that! - coming soon!)

Flying Solo... and Away

Last week my husband left for Vancouver for the week for the fourth and last session of a 2-year program.  I found myself flying solo on the homefront juggling the girls and work.  I have written about being Home Alone before... Though this time around I had work and puking kids thrown into the mix... that being said, I had more help then ever to care for my sick babe while I rushed off to work, and as a bonus, was pleasantly surprised by the meals I had prepared and hidden in the freezer for times such as this!  So I didn't really feel that alone after all.

I think I was more in overdrive mode as I prepared to go from flying solo, to flying away where I would be meeting my husband out west mid-week for 4 days for his graduation from the Arrow Leadership Program.  It was the first time EVER that our 3 girls would be left alone (without either mom or dad).  My mother-in-law stepped up and was an amazing help with the girls and carried on their school and weekday routine, and had a Saturday with them too. And thankfully my 16-month old was over her flu before I left (and the rest of us didn't catch it!)  

Now it's an interesting thing to prepare for your absence... it entails making many detailed plans and lists for those who will essentially be doing your job while you're away.  I've always said that its so much more work to prepare work for a supply teacher then to be there to teach it yourself... (so true - plans are so much more detailed... and there are only certain types of work you can leave to be done when you're not there to teach...)

How much more true is this on the home front!  Detailed lists for my mother-in-law about swimming lessons and speech therapy appointments, birthday parties, homework and school lunches... Notes for the teachers... Thankfully, I am a highly organized person who did much of the planning ahead of time, so the night before, I just had to look out for myself, pack my bags (and of course comfort crying girls who weren't too excited about me leaving early morn.)

Actually, my 7-year old spoke words that haunted me until I got back... She said she was used to daddy being away as he's had one-week trips before, but I NEVER leave her!  She was afraid she would NEVER see me again... YIKES!  Just what a mom wants to hear as she's about to step onto a plane for a 4-hr flight... We'd worked out a deal, when we were sad and missed each other, we would send each other emails (as time-change wouldn't always allow for us to talk in those moments).  The girls did great and my husband and I had a wonderful time together, and I'm so thankful for my mother-in-law!! (I even got a reorganized pantry, etc. out of the deal!)

We flew back in the wee hours of the morning and were woken up early Sunday morning after 4 hours of sleep by 3 girls SO excited to see us... and yes, I was dying to see my girls too... I've never been away from them for that long!  (I thankfully got to nap in the afternoon after letting my husband sleep-in in the morning!)

Now I'm a few days back into the swing of things at school... we're all sick and coughing like CRAZY.  And despite fighting with my middle-child (who has her daddy's stubborn streak) this morning trying to get her ready for school... it's sure nice to be home.

I missed my girls (and the sunshine... does it truly ever NOT rain in Vancouver?? - that's another story...)  I must say that it was such a blessing to sneak that time away with my man... SO AWESOME and I miss him so much this week after having been with him for 4 days straight!